Never one to sit still, I
zipped over to Nantucket after my sojourn in Little Compton, Rhode Island, for a
little R&R in what I like to call the “Yankee Riviera.”
Head for the tucked-away
Wauwinet for a romantic escape by the sea and
for a magical dinner at Topper’s.
Nantucket is pure magic,
mixing the history and architecture of a former whaling community with stellar
restaurants, inns, sights and postcard-perfect beaches. Since it’s mid-August,
the island was bustling, but there was none of the attitude and road rage that
can be so prevalent in the Hamptons (try parking in East Hampton on a sunny
Saturday afternoon, and you’ll see what I mean).
I am simply mad for the rose-covered cottages in charming Sconset. And
the hydrangeas—glorious!
Days were spent biking: From
the windswept strands at Madaket to the bike path along Milestone Road from
town out to Sconset and the 8.1-mile ride from Anne’s Lane in Sconset back to
Milestone Road, I certainly felt that I burned off our amazing array of rose
wine-fueled dinners. From the cutting-edge yet comfortable cooking at glorious
American Seasons to the stellar, more formal, very expensive
eats at the Wauwinet Inn’s Topper’s (oh, the popovers in the bread basket!) to The
Chanticleer and Summer House Inn, both in Sconset,
the Nixon clan supped their way across the isle.
Here I am biking on Polpis Road, burning off those pounds.
I ran into friends, sat
beachside and read Olive Kitteridge,
had a glittering al fresco Sunday brunch at the White Elephant Inn, sipped
champagne, biked a few more miles and unplugged. Divine.
Sit on the patio at the White Elephant and take in Nantucket Harbor as
you sip potent Bloody Marys.